No, this isn’t cycling related. As a pet owner and a dog lover, I thought it would be good to share this article.
Dangers of Rawhide and Safe Alternatives (by: Sarah Sypniewski)
Rawhide chews and bones are very popular for dogs. They come in all sorts of sizes, and they are pretty economical to buy. Depending on the dog, a rawhide can last days or even weeks! However, rawhide is extremely dangerous. It is so dangerous, that I am stunned they can still sell it. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA both discourage rawhide consumption and list it among the dangerous household products for pets (next to pesticides and cleaning chemicals). If you still use rawhide, read on to find out more about why you should stop – and what chewing alternatives are out there.
What Is Rawhide, Anyway?
It’s the inner layer of cow or horse hides that has been cleaned and stripped of hair. In order to remove the hair from this layer, the hide must be soaked in chemicals, primarily sodium sulfide. It’s as toxic as it sounds. It’s then washed and whitened with hydrogen peroxide, dried, and pressed into the treats you see in the stores (sometimes they add flavorings or coatings to make them appetizing for dogs). Other toxins, such as trace amounts of arsenic and formaldehyde have been detected in rawhide treats as well. Rawhide is classified neither as a human food nor pet food, so there are no regulations over its production.
Dangers of Rawhide
Choking – Probably the biggest danger of them all is the risk of choking. If you’ve ever watched a dog chew on a rawhide, you know how stringy, soft, and long it can become. At some point, a dog will have worked at it long enough that he’s chewed off pieces small enough to fit into his mouth and even into his esophagus, but that’s often where the buck stops. The rawhide can quickly and easily become lodged in his throat, blocking his airway…..
Continue reading the full article here: Dangers of Rawhide and Safe Alternatives
After gaining 13 pound in two weeks, I realized that a 6-7 week layoff was not going to work for me. My 12 week training plan that I designed for the off season was about to turn into a 16 week plan to shed the weight that I put on and to get ready for spring riding and racing. The plan is to do four days a week of interval training indoors on the trainer. Two days of HIITs and two days of sustained efforts. My goals are simple: lose weight to get lighter on the bike, and gain speed to get faster on the bike. I’m not too concerned about my endurance, that will be there, especially once the weather is warmer and I’m riding outside. In the first 6 weeks of training, not only did I drop the 13 pounds that I gained, I also lost an additional 7 pound for a total of 20 pounds in six weeks of interval training. Now I’m fluctuating between 162 and 165 lbs with my target race weight of 160 lbs so close.
That does seem to be the question when it comes to training for cyclocross. I think everyone will have a different opinion on the matter of incorporating running into you cyclocross training. And I’ve said it many times before, I dislike running very much. Every year I get older it feels like it gets harder. But, I will say this…after including running in my training plan for one day a week, my overall cyclocross riding has improved. I’m not going to say that the run-ups are easy, but they are definitely easier. Where I use to struggle on the run-ups after the first lap of a race, I now shoot right up, struggle free, and hop right back on the bike. No stopping. No resting. No need walk my bike to catch my breath.
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